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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · file · saw · shower · staff · pass · stick · chip

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chip — for betting
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — a permit
  14. shower — to wash
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a document
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com